Relating

Relating to others makes me feel human. At this point in my life I have been very conscious of who surrounds me. I have let a few friendships taper off naturally. With that said, when I hear someone I know well talk about something I relate to, it makes me feel human. It makes me feel real. The minute I know someone else I respect has had the same experience or feels the same way about something I can almost hear myself exhale from relief that I'm not the only one.

While reading Tina Fey's book, Bossypants, I totally related to her chapter on being a mom. When I became pregnant with Haley there were so many decisions I made about childbirth, breastfeeding, etc. I had it all laid out, and then I went into labor.
I am going to pull a few excerpts that I especially related to. No, I don't know Tina Fey, but I loved that someone put into words what I have felt...
"...I chose to breastfeed and it was an amazing time in my life...Many experts have ideas of how long you should breastfeed, until 6 months, 1 year, toddlerhood. ..For my little angel and me the magic number was 72 hours...We tried the football hold, the cross-cradle hold, and one I like to call the Bret Michaels, where you kind of lie over the baby and stick your breast in its mouth to wake it up."
At this point I laughed out loud.
"...Here we experienced another generational difference. Gen X wanted to succeed so she could tell people she did it." (Breastfeeding IS what's best for you baby). "Gen Z wanted me to hand over the damn formula and she was willing to scream until she got it...I was defensive and grouchy whenever the topic came up...Once I gave up my guilt, which took awhile, the only remaining obstacle were the Teat Nazis. These are the women who not only brag endlessly about how much their 5 year old child still loves breast milk, but they also grill you about your choices.'...Are you breastfeeding? Did you have a vaginal birth? Are you back at work already? Do you feel weird about going back to work?"

For the record, I have been asked all of these questions by various moms.

"Let's be clear. Millions of women breastfeed their babies for years or go back to work without giving anyone a hard time about it. These are not the women I am talking about when I say Teat Nazis."

I thoroughly enjoyed the few pages in that chapter. Thank you Tina Fey, for relating to how I have felt in the past. One of my children was breastfed, the other formula fed. Both are doing just fine. Once I saw that, I was able to let go of the guilt. The guilt I put upon my own self. I feel more human to know that celebrities go through the same things we do.
Just with way more money.

Books

My favorite part about vacation? Besides being off with my lovely family is...READING! There is just so much more time to read. I am not falling asleep the minute my head hits the pillow and I can wake up and read on the couch before the kids even wake up! And then there's down time in the afternoon to read! I finished one book, The Last Child by John Hart. Lloyd Russell recommended it through his blog. I read about it on there and asked him to save it for me. If you are a reader I highly recommend his site. He reads a bazillion books a year, or close to that.
Anyway, the book was so damn good. I haven't read a book that scared me like that in a long time. It is not a horror, but a "who done it?" type of book and I read the last 1/2 of the book one night until 1:00am. At one point the ice maker turned and jolted my nerves! I finished the book in bed so Josh could save me from any fictional murderer who might be looming in the closet.
My mom gave me Tina Fey's autobiography and I read it in 3 days. FABULOUS! I was already a fan, so the book was pure enjoyment.
I love vacation.

Holiday

 Haley and Ryan both ended up on Santa's "nice" list. Phew! The Russell household had a new experience with Santa this year. In the past the gifts from Santa have not exceeded $20. What can I say? My kids love bargains! In October of this year Haley started talking about wanting a DS. I didn't know what this was so I had to do some research. As the rest of the world knows, it's game system but oh so much more. At first Mrs. Claus was unsure since this was a significant gift. She didn't want to give something inappropriate for an almost 7 year old. She did some research with parents she knows and respects. Santa also agreed that Haley is responsible and has never asked for anything big in the past. Needless to say it was under the tree and we've never seen her more excited about a gift. She has shown us all it has. Luckily Santa has a friend who downloaded a TON of stuff onto it. Hooray! She loves that thing. We all agreed on some general rules about care and usage, etc. (Ryan's gift was $11.99).

 We have seen our whole family this break. We had our annual trip to Yuba City. I came in 2nd place AGAIN in our drink contest. RIGGED? Perhaps...

 See these adults opening gifts? Yah, those are the little ones that were in our wedding. Juniors in high school and freshmen in college. Ummm, what?!

 We went to Tahoe for a few days and there is no snow. We had to drive to a resort so the kids could get bundled up and play in it for awhile. Haley loved it all- snowballs, sledding, sliding, everything. Ryan loved doing his own thing, which did not include being put into a sled and going  down the smallest hill and falling out. It also did not include his parents pressuring him to try again with Daddy, eventually forcing him on Josh's lap and sending him down (the same tiny hill) safely. Why did we do that? We are fundamentally against doing that kind of stuff to our kids. I don't know what possessed us that day, but we were reminded of why we don't do that. Ryan didn't want to go down again. Even if we knew he wouldn't fall out again. Lesson learned, again.

 Hanukkah was a great celebration as well. So much awesome cousin time this break! We lit the candles most of the 8 nights and sang the prayer and hugged and kissed exclaiming, "Happy Hanukkah!" each time.

 Baby Jake! 3 months old. One of the chillest babies on the planet. No joke.

We took a beautiful hike at Rancho San Antonio this week. We checked out all the animals at the farm and threw some rocks in the creek.
This holiday has been perfect. The best one yet. There are so many reasons to celebrate! Happiness, health, family, and my fabulous shoes for New Year's Eve (pictures to come).
Happy New Year!

Pure Joy

Every year our school comes together to help a few students during the holidays. This year the fire department donated a couple of brand new bikes. One of my students was a recipient. He was pulled out of class and given the new bike in the office. When he came back to class he kept repeating, "thank you" and gave me a huge hug. This student is not a hugger. I could see him the rest of class processing what had just happened. I kept wondering, has he ever been given something brand new like that? Much less, out of nowhere?
A true example of the what the holidays mean to me. Pure joy in my heart. If you could have seen his face, it would have filled your heart too.
My day is officially made.

Choice

I try not to live in envy and I am pretty good at it. I am pretty good at knowing how wonderful life is and how blessed we are to have all that we have. Like every human, there are times I wish for more money, more things. I know that I have everything that is really important in life. Sometimes I simply want more.

There are times when I have felt like I am the only one I know who is a working mom. I would find myself making blanket statements, in my head, about how I am the only person I know who has to work. Hello, that is not even close to true. How about all the wonderful moms I work with? There's a place to start!

I have also always found myself saying it's easy to go to work when you know you have no choice. Josh and I both love the work we do and we both bring home the same amount of bacon. When I say I have no choice, I mean with the life that we have.
I do have a choice. We are choosing to own a home instead of renting. I could stay at home if we lived in a 2 bedroom apartment. We would still have everything that really matters, but we are making a choice to both work and own a home.

Why am I talking about all of this? It has occurred to me lately that many people I know and love are dealing with things that they did not choose. This always makes me reflect on my own life. I would like more money or a house in Tahoe or even a house with a yard.I don't live in that thought process but I visit it from time to time. I especially go there when I hear people complain about things when they have all that I envy. This is what makes me think, "do I do that to others?" When I say I work because I have no choice, it's not true and I need to not say it anymore.

The other day I was talking to a friend about my new shoes and figuring out how to wear heels to a wedding in the snow. Do I bring boots and change? Do I wear them and hope for the best? When it was her time to catch up she talked about a serious health issue in her family that has wiped her out the last month. Ok..to say I felt like a jerk was an understatement. She had no choice in that situation. Life just gave it to her.

I know that this post was kind of rambling. I hope to clarify with this:

I am going to be better at owning my choices. I am going to be better at being aware of what I say to people who are going through things that they are not choosing.

Gone in a Flash

November was here and gone and here we are in December! I know that family and the school year are good when time flies like that.
I know lots of wonderful things happened in November with many memorable stories. I just didn't capture them.  Boo!
I'll be a better blogger in December.
Some highlights of November include:
1. Moving into my remodeled classroom. It is pure heaven to have everything new and clean and technologically sound. We all take pride in our new work space.
2. ICE SKATING! We took the kids to Downtown Ice and they never wanted to leave. Haley was eventually out in the mix with other skaters. Ryan stuck with a parent, but was doing all the work. It was a wonderful outing with friends.
3. End of the soccer season. Haley received her trophies and was very proud. She says she may be done with soccer. 3 seasons was a good run. We'll see how she feels in the fall.
4. Thanksgiving- a lovely and relaxing day with family. DELICIOUS food and so much to be thankful for.
Cheers to a wonderful December!

Trick or Treat!

Sayings

3 is hilarious. Right now Ry has some great sayings...

"Giggyup hose (horse)!"

" No, no, no...yisten to my words."

" I want to have a pee-yama pah-tee!" This is ever since he got Superman pjs with a cape.

"Sissy, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

" Yes sir!" after he's been asked to do something

"Sure thing, Dad!"

" I don't yike that."

" May I pees be used?"- May I please be excused?

" What in the world?"
"Sure thing!" In reponse to a request.
"That's tota-yee fine with me."
"That's abso-yoot-yee perfect!"

I know there are more but wanted to get down what I could before I forgot.

Our Little Pumpkins

Haley's first pumpkin.

Ryan's first pumpkin.

Proud

Last Friday I felt the pride of being a mom and a wife. My day went something like this...

Assembly at Haley's school to see her receive a Student of the Month Award.

Pick up Ryan after school to learn he had a full week of doing his best and making good choices. Not one incident at all.

Go to a San Jose community event with Josh and the family at Happy Hollow. Be introduced to many people and hear Josh praised privately as well over the microphone during the presentation.

It was the best day. I was beaming with pride for every member of my family. I love the days when all is right. I had a permanent smile from sun up to sun down.

Not Now, Buckwheat

About a month ago, the kids were introduced to "The Little Rascals." It's silly and classic and cute. Well, now Ryan has an imaginary crocodile named Buckwheat.
The other day I put him in the car and he said, "Not now, Buckwheat. Sorry, Mom. Buckwheat is making bad choices."
Buckwheat is a good croc who was having a bad day. Ry does a very good job keeping him in check. Buckwheat sleeps with him along with some "bad guys who are my friends." They keep him safe at night, keep him company in the car, and come in every morning to say good morning with Ryan.
It's so cute seeing the imaginary play. He's been doing it with things for a long time, but this is the first with "air." I love it.

Bees Suck

I don't REALLY feel this way, but I did this last weekend. Last month Haley was bit by a wasp in my parents' backyard. This made her resistant to want to hang out there anymore (which is normally where we are at my parents' house). She has always been afraid of bees. Being bitten on the finger did not help.

This weekend we were swimming at a friend's house. Haley, and others, were in the pool and I was sitting on the side with my feet in. I looked up and saw a bee walking up her face under her eye. I was not in my suit but tried to walk calmly toward her, in the pool, to swipe the bee off of her face before she knew what was happening. I saw her face react once she felt the bee under her eye and I told her to go under water. She came up crying. The bee had stung her and she handed me the stinger she had pulled out. I wrapped her in a towel and sat with her while my friend got some ice.

She asked me why the bee had stung her this time. last time my mom figured out that she had eaten an orange before she went outside the the bee was attracted to the sweetness. Plus we have said in the past, that bees don't like to go swimming, so she's fine in the water. Well, this sucked. There was no answer. I do not know why the bee was walking on her face and stung her. She totally calmed down and went on her way.

That morning I woke up at 4:00 pondering the situation. What if I had not told her to go under? Did she get stung because the bee was stunned from the water? Did I cause this to happen? What if I told her to swat it away? What if I jumped in faster and got it off? Why the hell was I thinking about this at 4 in the morning?

The answer? As a parent I want to prevent my kids from pain. Any kind of pain. This was a small deal, but I couldn't help feel guilt that I couldn't stop it from happening when I was right there. After that bee stung her it was on her shoulder walking around. I took it off and threw it aside. What I wanted to do was take the bee in my hand and yell, "What did you do that for? She wasn't going to hurt you! Now you stung her and your stinger's gone and now you're going to die. That's what you get for wasting your stinger on an innocent girl!"

The feeling is not just toward the bee. It's toward anyone/anything who causes pain for my children. A parent will calmly walk in the pool with her clothes on (sure I flailed and fell on my ass) to protect her child from harm.

The next morning Haley had forgotten about it, but I had lost sleep. Turns out that the bee stung her before she went under. She said she liked going under because it got it off her face. I saw her face change before I told her to go under. She was actually getting stung, not just realizing a bee was on her face. This made me feel better. Well, just a little.

It's a Love/Hate Relationship

What I love about my job:
1. The work itself is challenging and rewarding.
2. Every day is different.
3. I can leave work by 3:30.
4. I love the students and the age.
5. I have a lot of vacation time with my family.
6. The possible impact on a child's life is awesome.
7. I work with cool people.
8. I am always learning/changing.
9. I feel good about what I do.
10. I get to laugh every day at work
11. It helps pay the bills.

What I hate about my job:
1. It is not flexible (definite start and end times and can't just call in late or sick).
2. I have to rely on other friends and family members to get my kids from A-Z.
3. I can't be there to take Haley to school or pick her up at 2:00 every day (soon this will be Ryan too).

There are only 3 things in this column, but they kill me sometimes. I just want to be there for my kids at all times. I don't like relying on people for rides and care. We are so lucky to have so much support. We love the people who help us. I know how lucky we are to be healthy and stable.
There are just times that I want it all...is that so bad?

1st Grade

First Grade!!! Yes, first grade. I keep waiting for someone to stop me and say I am far too young to have a first grader, yet no one blinks an eye. What's that about?
She started a few weeks ago and is loving school. So awesome.

Laughter

There is no better feeling in the world than laughter. Ok, I know that sounds like the corniest thing, but it is so true. To me it is simply the best. Since I can remember I have always loved laughing. I mean LOVED. Growing up my little brother cracked me up. I always laughed at whatever he did, encouraging him to do it more, even if it wasn't the right things that he should be doing and at times he got in trouble. Then I was told not to encourage him. But he couldn't stop making me laugh and I couldn't stop laughing. It's just how we worked. In school, I was the one ALWAYS laughing (encouraging) the class clown. What a perfect gig for me! I got to laugh and be entertained at someone doing something in class I would never dream of doing and, for the most part, stayed out of trouble for it. my encouragement was never intended to get anyone in trouble, only to get me to laugh.

 I have to say that not much has changed as an adult. I still love laughter. I am drawn to people who laugh a lot since it is one of my favorite things to do. I love seeing people in a laughing spell too. The kind where no sound comes out and your face is frozen but your body is shaking. The kind that hurts your temples and your sides and produces tears. It's contagious and it's the best. I married someone who I think is one of the funniest people on the planet. He has the best sense of humor. This all makes sense to me as we were raised in a house of laughter. It's how we got through everything! And now we have another comedian in the house. I know I have another entry about this in months past, but the kid gets funnier by the day. Ryan has all the best qualities from my little brother that way. He is not always meaning to be funny, but once he gets the laugh he is off and running. He makes up songs and games and sayings that put all of us in stitches. I've never seen Haley laugh as hard as she does with her brother. He is funny.

Like, I said, who doesn't love laughter? I think some people may not appreciate a sense of humor in certain situations. I can thank my parents for instilling in us that there is humor in anything. Laughter can be had through any time. I married into the Russells, who share the same philosophy and raised their kids the same way. I feel comfortable knowing that there will be teasing at all times and that any little mistake will not slip by without some ridicule.
I will never forget when a friend came over for dinner while we lived in the teacher apartments. At the end of the night she said, "is it always like this or just because I came over?"
I am happy to say it is always like this. Not every moment of every day, but every day we laugh and we laugh hard. And what's better than that?

Back in the Game

We're all getting back to reality after a fantastic summer. I'm back at work and one week into teaching students. Ryan is back at Diane's. Josh is back to driving kids in the morning and Haley starts 1st grade tomorrow after a super fun week and a half playing with her grandparents.

We are also back into the soccer season.

 Haley was VERY excited for her first practice and first game. This is her first year playing on an all girls team. Before the game the assistant coach asked who wanted to play goalie. Haley shot her hand up and my heart started to pound. She was goalie once last year and let a good number of goals go by her. I could see her face each time the other team cheered when they scored on her and each time my heart dropped just a bit. I grew up doing team sports and I definitely know about the ups and downs. But Haley is young and I just want her to build confidence.

So there she was, a year later, thrilled to be goalie the first quarter of the game. Josh went and stood behind the goal to talk her through the boundaries, etc. The whistle blew and the opposite team went straight up the field, through all of our players and immediately scored a hard kicked goal. I couldn't really tell Haley's expression but I saw Josh talking to her, saying all the right things I am sure. Whistle blows again and the same little girl runs past all of our players and kicks a high goal in the left corner. Not a chance for Haley who is not at all aggressive. It took a few seconds, but as the players went back to kick off again, Haley buried her face in her hands and started to cry. My heart, again, sank. I walked over and she just kept saying, "I don't want to be goalie anymore." We kept assuring her and letting her know that some will get past her and others won't. I walked past Josh and said, "this sucks." My most mature reaction. At the moment I was mad. Mad that the coach wasn't coming over to comfort her, mad that he didn't know that my sensitive daughter was crushed by the fact that she let goals by (again, very rational thinking at this moment in time). The whistle blew again and up came the very same girl. My heart started to race as I calmly told my crying child to "get ready, you can do this." Josh was saying the same thing in a quiet voice. The girl made another good kick and...HALEY SAVED IT!!! The sideline went nuts, as did her two parents goal side. It seriously felt like a Brandy Chastain (sp) moment. I then, not so calmly, instructed Haley to walk the ball out the the edge of the box and throw it to a teammate. Once the girls were away for a bit she turned and smiled and wiped her tears. She still wanted out, don't get me wrong. But she knew she could do it. That's all I want for my kids. To know that sometimes it's easy and other times it's hard. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Sometimes you block a goal and others get past you. All will be ok.
We lost the game 6 or 7 to 0. Haley got right back in the game and ran around the field getting in a few good kicks/plays. She felt much better. Every goalie was scored- thank goodness not just Haley- is that bad?
The best part? When talking about the game later, she said she'd want to try and be goalie again. I don't think I can handle it, but I'm glad she can.

Jacob!

My nephew, Jacob Orlando Rasul, was born Aug 19th. He is perfection! We are so excited that he is here. His skin is soft and he smells so sweet. So cool that the name carries on (my grandfather, father, brother and nephew). Welcome to our family little Jake.

The Best

This has been, by far, the best summer since becoming a mom. We had a blast together. We had many fun trips but we also had fun being at home and doing things locally. I know that Ryan being 3 made a huge difference. Last summer he was good and 2, if you know what I mean.

Tomorrow it's back to real life. I am back at work, Ryan's back at Diane's and Haley gets to play with my parents for the next week and a half until she starts on the 22nd- 1st grade!!! I am always have mixed emotions this time of year. I am excited to meet my new students and see what the school year holds. I am sad to have my special time end with my family. The mornings have been nice and lazy. The evenings have been care free. It's always an adjustment for all of us (Josh will miss sleeping in too). Cheers to a wonderful summer. Cheers to a fabulous school year.

Positive Signs

In the last week I have really been thinking about going back to work. It's that time of the year when my brain switches from the free and blessed time I get in the summer back to starting the school year. I am starting my 13th year and I still lose sleep and get anxious every year! Last night I got 4 hours of sleep as my mind was buzzing with all I wanted and had to get done before the students show up.

I think it's funny, and not coincidental, that all summer I haven't heard many stories about teachers or teaching. In the last 2 weeks my friend told me how she went to Palm Springs and the man at the registration desk at the resort learned she was a teacher, grabbed her hands and said, "thank you" before upgrading her room to a huge suite. Then I had dinner with my good friend who has been my teaching partner the last 3 years and is moving on. She sent me an email after our dinner that brought me to tears letting me know that she is my biggest cheerleader and supporter. Then the Matt Damon video defending teachers (if you haven't seen it, Google it). Last, and with most impact, was a surprise little note from an old student that gave me just the nugget I needed to get started this year.

These have all acted as signs to me that it's time. Time to get back into the grind. Time to meet my next group. Time to rock and roll!

Jenny

We have a friend, Jenny, who has started a blog and I love it. Jenny is the mother of 4, a cancer survivor, a divorce survivor and a wise woman. When she has something to say, I listen as she is close to my age and has experienced more at this point in her life than most people experience in a lifetime. She has lived through some MAJOR challenges and has the best attitude about life. I encourage you to read her blog. She recently said she had over 600 readers. She writes about every day life lessons as well as chronicles her life list of close to 1,300 challenges.
I am writing about her because, as I've written before, I love gaining wisdom from people I respect. I am inspired by these people. She's awesome and you should follow her journey like I am.

Wedding

Meredith's wedding was last weekend. It was perfect. The wedding was up in Coffee Creek. Basically go up Hwy 5 to Redding and head west. The area was BEAUTIFUL and I had never seen that part of the state before. There were mountains and lakes everywhere. They got married at the Carrville Inn, a lovely property that reminded me of a plantation.

We kicked it off with a bridal shower Friday morning. We mingled, ate and drank. It was set up on a patio in the middle of redwoods. Talk about decor! After the shower we worked on the flowers for a few hours. My mom was in heaven as she created centerpiece after centerpiece. There were buckets and buckets of loose flowers and all sizes of vases. They were stunning.

Meredith and Mikey provided an incredible reunion. I loved high school and I loved seeing people who I had some fantastic memories with. Most people I have seen since we graduated but we don't get together. my parents loved catching up with all the 'kids" who used to hang at our house or did sports with us. Everyone was so happy to see each other.

And then it was the wedding day...

We worked in the morning but by noon all the girls were upstairs to hang out and get ready for the wedding at 4:30. We sipped on pink champagne (ummm...loved), relaxed with cucumbers on our eyes, and painted our nails. I got my hair done by a girl we went to school with so we gossiped and laughed for the hour. Everything was light and exciting. No stress. No drama. the Meredith put her dress on and I lost it. I didn't think about the emotional piece of this event. I don't know why. This was my best friend marrying the love of her life. They started dating 18 years ago! Once it started I was a mess. Our relationship is full of laughter and pranks and ripping on each other. She looked at me and gasped, "No! Not you! What are you doing? YOU can't be crying!" She's a beautiful girl and I had never seen her more beautiful.

There's Mikey heading down. He was in pure bliss the whole weekend. I couldn't pass him one time without him stopping to give me a kiss. The man was ecstatic. Plain and simple.

The nuptials took place under a 400 year old oak tree. The spot looked straight out of a magazine. Oak trees along the side with white lights, hung birdcages and glass bulbs with candles. The owners of the property said they have never seen a wedding so beautiful there.

We danced until 2:00. It was a celebration like no other. Cheers to the Ripleys!!!

Health

I appreciate health. That might sound extremely obvious, but I actually try to stay aware of when I'm healthy and how much I appreciate it. I'm thankful for things like the ability to run and dance and have all of my body parts in working order.
I don't take the health of my children for granted either. I have stopped and thought to myself, "Everyone I know and love is healthy. I am so blessed." Haley was up with a fever and vomit last night. I barely got sleep even when she was sleeping. I checked on her and listened to her breathing and felt her head.
I just wrote about how hard parenting can be. On the spectrum of life we have it so easy. I will take our hardest day every day if it means my kids are healthy and strong and thriving. I do not take that for granted.

Family Camp!

We just got from Family Camp. Yes, for the first time, we experienced the fun of the Family Vacation Center in Santa Barbara.  It was recommended by a friend of a friend. So, instead of our normal Tahoe trip with just the 4 of us. we went to camp.

Let's start by saying that the kids had a blast. We opted for the mini week (Sat-Wed) versus the full week (Sat-Sat). Even though we explained this to the kids (aimed at Haley) Haley was not happy to leave. "But on Thursday we have a beach day and Friday is campfire and s'mores and our performance!"

We found the mini week to be perfect. The camp is completely organized and the staff was AMAZING. I loved that there was no forced mixers or other "campy" things for the adults. I feared that I would be forced into a water balloon toss with a stranger. As outgoing as I am, that stuff is not for me. No, everything was offered and you could participate in as much or as little as possible. There were kids groups and activities every day. It took Ry just a bit to warm up, but soon he was happy to ditch us for kid stuff. Haley didn't even wave to us when she joined her friends for a couple of hours.

Josh took a surf lesson while I ran the campus trail along the ocean. Another day we took 2 hours to ocean kayak where we saw 2 dolphins about 20 yards away and a sea lion popped up an arms length away from our kayak. They offered yoga, tennis, hiking, mountain biking, wine tasting, a night on the town, and on and on. We swam at the pool and played games on the grass with the friends the kids made.

There was a family carnival with simple toss games. Like I said, so organized yet so flexible. For us it was the perfect combination of relaxation, activity, family togetherness and alone/couple time. We stayed in the dorms suites (2 bedroom and living area).

All food and drink was included in the price. one day they brought in a BBQ, but mostly we ate in the dining commons. My, how college dining commons have changed. They had organic food and many many options. Hot food, cold food, a made to order station, a Korean style BBQ, and wood fired pizza. We were for sure done with it by the end, but it was nice to have fresh choices every day.

And now for my favorite story of the trip. One lunch we were in the commons during a freshman orientation so the place was PACKED. Josh was taking our dishes to the busing station so his hands we full to the max. At the last minute Ryan decided he wanted to go with him. He ran over to Josh and jumped up and grabbed the top of his basketball shorts and pulled them straight down. This was no plumber's crack show. This was most of a full moon. My jaw dropped and I immediately started laughing. Here's Josh with his hands full and his pants down with hundreds of people all around. Let me say now that i did not get up to help. I did not run to his aid. This was not on purpose just simply not in my thought process. I saw him struggle with what to do. He balanced all the dishes in one arm and pulled his shorts up, but many seconds had passed. He turned around to find support from his loving wife and all he saw was me crying as I was laughing so hard. He bused his dishes and I sat and laughed (out loud) in his absence. I am sure people thought I was nuts. It was just too good. In fact as I write this, I am laughing out loud.

So not much of a camp story, but my favorite story from camp.

We had a great time...all of us.